


one of our longshots paid off

by grimmauld



Series: nanowrimo 2020 [3]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Enemies to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, enemies is basically the same level as canon, in that they're Not really enemies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27776614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimmauld/pseuds/grimmauld
Summary: Alex wasn’t sure what he expected when his parents shipped him and his sister off to London for boarding school two years ago, but he certainly didn’t factor in insanely pretty boys with tawny blonde hair and incredibly insufferable personalities. Unfortunately for him, Pez had latched on to Henry in their first year and Alex had been stuck with him constantly around ever since
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Series: nanowrimo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995103
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	one of our longshots paid off

**Author's Note:**

> a lil one shot bc i've not been in a writing mood lately and i'm trying to force it
> 
> title from longshot by catfish and the bottlemen

The light had barely begun filtering through the tiny window of Alex’s boarding room when he was startled awake by an abrupt thud. His eyes snapped open and he sat up a bit too quickly, his vision blackening around the edges for a moment. His roommate, Pez, was laying on the floor in a crumpled, groaning heap.

“...Y’alright?” Alex asked, trying in vain to keep his evident amusement from his voice.

“Fuck off,” Pez groaned, still laying on the floor, eyes closed.

Alex snorted, swinging his legs over the side of his own bed, “see, Pez, this is what you’re supposed to do.”

“You’re such a wanker,” he replied, cracking one eye open to watch as Alex laughed. He stopped rubbing his elbow just to flip Alex off.

Despite the early hour, a soft knock sounded at the door.

“That’d be Henry, then,” Pez said, pulling himself up off of the floor. He glanced down at his pyjamas, wiping non-existent dust from his shoulder.

Alex wasn’t sure what he expected when his parents shipped him and his sister off to London for boarding school two years ago, but he certainly didn’t factor in insanely pretty boys with tawny blonde hair and incredibly insufferable personalities. Unfortunately for him, Pez had latched on to Henry in their first year and Alex had been stuck with him constantly around ever since.

Pez flung the door open, corralling Henry inside with a glance up and down the hallway. They technically weren’t supposed to have other students in their dorm rooms outside of the proper hours. Pez was never one for rules, though.

“Henry.”

“Alex,” Henry greeted with a sarcastic nod. Alex rolled his eyes.

It was just pushing seven A.M. which, in Alex’s humble opinion, was far too early to deal with mouthy British boys.

“I’m off to the showers,” he said after a moment of silence. Pez muttered something under his breath, but Alex was too tired to really care. Henry’s eyes never left him.

He flipped the two of them off as he left the room.

-

The shower block was miraculously empty. Alex sent a quick thank you to God as he hooked his shower basket over the door of the biggest cubicle. He set the shower temperature to just less than scalding and waited as the water heated up.

He stood under the spray, letting the water wash over him, waking him up fully. If Henry wasn’t so fucking irritating all the time, maybe they could actually tolerate one another.

Forcing himself out of the comforting warmth of his shower, Alex got dressed quickly and made his way back to his dorm room.

Pushing open the door, he hummed a half-remembered melody to himself. Pez and Henry hadn’t left the room yet. Worse, Henry had flopped down onto Alex’s bed in his absence. His humming cut off abruptly as his lips curled into a scowl.

“D’You plan to waste space here all day?” Alex muttered, irate, pushing Henry’s legs until he rose from the soft mattress.

Henry tossed a cocky grin his way, moving to steal Alex’s desk chair, “Not all day. Just ‘til you leave.”

“Shut up, the both of you. You’re so oblivious sometimes, Alex,” Pez said, rolling his eyes. He ignored Alex’s affronted spluttering in favour of grabbing his shower caddy and heading to the door, “occupy Henry for a while. I don’t care if you don’t want to. I’ll be back in 20.”

Henry was spinning idly in his chair, the same cocky grin on his face. Alex wanted to punch him. Or kiss him. Either one, just to shut him up.

Alex didn’t punch him. (He didn’t kiss him, either.) He lay on his bed and pulled out his phone, fully intending to just ignore the other boy until Pez returned.

Apparently, Henry didn’t like that idea.

There are only so many balled up sticky notes you can have thrown at you before you snap.

“What?” Alex asked, venom coating his words.

“Entertain me.”

“Why should I? I don’t like you, you don’t like me. Read one of Pez’s books, or something.”

“Where’s the fun in that, when I could have a grumpy American talk to me.”

“Fuck off.”

Alex watched from over the top of his phone as Henry pouted, rolling his eyes again. He was going to get eye strain from this boy. Henry sat quietly for a few long seconds.

“Pez was right, you really are oblivious sometimes.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Why do you think I’m here so much?”

“It’s a boarding school? Where else are you supposed to go? You’re Pez’s best friend, I don’t know?”

“Yeah. I’m also in love with you.”

Fucking pardon? Huh?

“You- What? You’re in love with me?”

“Yeah. I’ve got nothing to lose and Pez is always telling me to just go for it so-”

Alex cut him off, standing abruptly and stopping Henry’s mildly nervous spinning. He tilted Henry’s face up with a gentle press of his fingers to the underside of Henry’s chin.

“I’m not in love with you, but I could be. Easily. I just hated you because I never learned how to deal with my emotions passed kindergarten pigtail-pulling. June tells me I’m an idiot, and I’m inclined to agree with her.”

“You need to talk less.”

Alex leaned down to press their lips together in a firm kiss. He pulled back after a moment, searching Henry’s face for approval before diving right back in.

-

Pez came back from his shower, June, Nora and Bea in tow — having managed to pick them up after he had texted them that he had left Alex and Henry alone in their dorm after telling Henry to ‘just go for it’— to see Alex in Henry’s lap on the desk chair, lips moving frantically against one another and Henry’s hands fisted in the back of Alex’s shirt. They didn’t stick around to see if either of them had noticed the intrusion. 

He owed some very smug girls 20 pounds.

**Author's Note:**

> comments/kudos are loved and appreciated
> 
> tumblr: @gaylupin


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